Republican negotiators in the House and Senate have reached agreement on a bill that cuts nearly $1 billion in spending. The key change from bills that passed the House and Senate is a reduction in unspecified cuts. The total is now $100 million that State Finance officials have to find.

The goal is to send it to Governor Dayton by the end of the week. Dayton has yet to say whether he’ll veto the measure but he has criticized lawmakers for taking a “piecemeal approach” to the budget.

Former Human Services Commissioner Cal Ludeman heavily edited a report on sex offenders to reflect the views of his boss, Tim Pawlenty.

Surly Brewing Company wants to build a new brewery/restaurant/beer garden in Minnesota. The problem is their plan needs a law change and things could get ugly as the promise of new jobs conflicts with concerns over the livelihoods of bar and restaurant owners.

About the blogger

Tom Scheck has covered politics and state government for more than ten years for MPR News. He’s covered several gubernatorial campaigns, two statewide recounts, the presidential bids of Tim Pawlenty and Michele Bachmann, U.S. Senate races, close Congressional contests and the Minnesota Legislature. He lives in Falcon Heights with his wife, son and dog. He can sometimes be found chasing a white ball on a golf course. It isn’t a straight walk. Tips are welcome at tscheck@mpr.org

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Michele Bachmann submits a sloppy and incomplete financial report to the FEC? Bachmann has been filing sloppy campaign reports for years. Where have you guys been?What do you expect from someone who keeps a dead man registered as general partner in her family farm?

Pawlenty caught lying twice in one digest? First faking a government report on sex offenders, then making up medical cost savings to pad his meager resumé? Just an ordinary day in Minnesota, really. Sun rising in the east, again; cold weather in January, again; Pawlenty lying, again. Nothing newsworthy here.

Ralph Crammedin

From the MPR story: a Minneapolis police lieutenant “… recounts a conversation with a recent applicant whose paperwork showed he had not completed treatment. ‘You’re a danger to yourself and you’re also dangerous to other people,’ Hildreth said he told him. ‘You’re hearing voices and you know, you’re not oriented to time and place.’ ”

The Republicans in the Minnesota legislature want to eliminate the background check for this person to buy guns. What is wrong with these people?

http://www.minnesotacentral.blogspot.com MinnesotaCentral

Just curious, yesterday it was mentioned that Erik Paulsen and Tim Walz were both holding Town Hall Meetings … but there is only a story on Congressman Walz.